We should honestly say "former Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco," cuz I don't think the Dominican Republic native is gonna be able to work in the United States after this one.
Yes, the child's mother was in on it, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for child trafficking as she profited massively from the sexual relationship. Prosecutors in the Dominican wanted a 5-year sentence for Franco, but it seems he will not serve further prison time "unless he [runs] afoul of certain conditions, including not contacting minors with sexual intentions."
From ESPN:
Franco met the girl online and had sex with her twice in December 2022, according to prosecutors. To see her in person, he would send helicopters or cars to pick her up near her hometown of Puerto Plata and bring her to his home in Bani. When police raided the girl's home, they found $68,500 in U.S. dollars and another 800,000 Dominican pesos (around $13,700), according to prosecutors.
Franco is currently on the Rays' restricted list, which means they don't have to pay him. He'd been placed on administrative leave in 2023 after these allegations came out, and in July 2024, after being charged, he was placed on the restricted list where he remains.
The MLB had some words:
'Major League Baseball is proud to have a collectively bargained Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy that reflects our commitment to these issues,' the league said in a statement. 'We are aware of today's verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.'
Franco was set to potentially become one of the greatest MLB players of all time. Instead, he'll likely never play another inning in the USA.
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